Monday, 20 February 2012

This is artist Nudrat Mughal’s first exhibition of her work. Nudrat found us through a project called Somewhereto_ http://somewhereto.com/ , which gives people from all different arts a helping hand in persuing their interests.

It is a mixture of hand and machine embroidery and machine sewing. She also has used fabric manipulation techniques and screen printing. Nudrat is interested in Victorian fashion and particularly likes the fastenings on clothing. She likes to mix the old with the new and takes inspiration from both, to create new variations on old styles. Nudrat uses contemporary techniques to recreate/reimagine old style patterns and designs.

Another way she achieves this is by using old/refound materials, to make her work truly authentic. She said that she likes her work to look as if you just pulled it out of the attic. Nudrat is a very creative artist and this is shown in the way she works on her pieces.

Nudrat begins with an idea and doesn’t plan ahead, as she feels this takes away the imagination and creativity from her work. Nudrat enjoys the actual process of evolving her work freely from an idea to the finished product, and says that no work is ever complete, that there is always room for improvement.

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"I like really dirty gold!"

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Nudrat especially loves the back of the waistcoat, as it was done by eye. There was no set pattern, it just came together freely piece by piece.

These pictures show the types of colour Nudrat uses. She likes olive green and purples, in keeping with the Victorian palette. The fabrics she uses are not crisp, they have flaws and imperfections, but Nudrat likes this in her work.

These two pictures are taken from the pomander bag. Nudrat used prints and lace to create the bag, as the Victorian era was one of femininity, particulaly when it came to clothes and fashion.

This particular pattern, above, was copied from an old belt buckle and the one below is from buttons.

Nudrat is particulaly interested in the details of things. Here she shows how pieces can be created simply from the inspiration of new types of fasteners eg.safety pins.

For the dress Nudrat used a pattern design for the upperbody, but made it her own by designing sleeves and train.

Thursday, 2 February 2012

Gosha kindly left me her notes from her speech at the preview - whew, as I was so busy taking photos and generally getting in everyones way I didn't write them down!

Welcome everyone and thank you so much for coming. I have had this idea for many years-since 2007. It is personal journey; a journey of self discovery as a woman.

Through these pictures I want to show the inner beauty of a woman in all her emotional states. Through the body of a woman I’m trying to express emotional states I have experienced, and which I think are universal. All women will experience these emotional states at some point in their life. I want to show womankind in all her complexity, vulnerability and beauty. The women are naked to represent bare emotion. This is a stripping down of the layers to represent a pure, emotional state.

I want my women (who are a manifestation of womankind) to be accepted, desired and loved, just as they are.

Thanks Gosha, now have a look at the images of both the work and some of the people who attended the preview and see what you think?